Here an article about the Nasa Scientist who found living organisms in Mars soil in the 1970s.
We may have already discovered the essence of life on Mars 40 years ago, according to a former NASA scientist.
www.cnn.com
The experiment loosely described in This article is only one he talks about in other interviews. Back in the 1970s, Nasa’s criteria for positive life detection would have been about 3 million bacteria in approx a thimble full of soil. Levin was able conduct more sensitive tests of the same soil that could detect down to 300 bacteria in a thimble of soil.. he got a positive, Nasa’s criteria came up negative. Both results could be true, obviously, but Nasa would not confirm the findings below 3Million parts so they did not record his results.
This story also speaks to something else you said about how desperate the Search to prove life exists on other planets is and what a waste it is... If they were really so devoted and obsessed with proving this, why has no subsequent Mars rover been equipped with life detection kits? Similar to the ones described here, they have more sensitive detection equipment they Could easily add to the rovers and after such a close call once before, you would think those desperate to prove Extraterrestrial life exists might actually put kits on the rovers that could detect said life. The fact they have not is suspicious honestly...